IMPORTANT: Bandwidth Problems UPDATE

[Greg Bernhardt]

Well folks, we are at 98% for our allotted bandwidth. It tears me up to say we will have to shut down later today for the remainder of the month.

I have sent an email to my hostas a last effort to see if they could do anything for us, but I don't think it's likely.

[Monique]

too bad :( but I think most people will understand when you tell them it is because of the success of the site :)

[Lonewolf]

Damn. Now I'm going to have to find something else to waste my time on...

[dduardo]

No physicsforums for a week! [o)]

Why don't you ask cosmic to host it for the rest of the month? I'm pretty sure mkaku.org hasn't seen too much traffic after everyone moved over here. [:D]

Greg, i knew you shouldn't have started that member picture thread. Look what you have done. j/k [;)]

[Greg Bernhardt]

Originally posted by dduardo
No physicsforums for a week! [o)]

Why don't you ask cosmic to host it for the rest of the month? I'm pretty sure mkaku.org hasn't seen too much traffic after everyone moved over here. [:D]


Unfortunately it's not that easy.



Greg, i knew you shouldn't have started that member picture thread. Look what you have done. j/k [;)]

But it was worth it wasn't it!?? [:D]

[Greg Bernhardt]

I am disabling avatars now as an effort to slow the bandwidth use.
I figure we have a good 10-15 hours left.

[lavalamp]

I know that this may only help a little (but every little helps right), but I found some source that repeats on every page:

<script language="Javascript">
function who(forumid) { window.open
("whothreads.php?s=&action=whopostedt&forumid="+forumid,
"whopostedt", "toolbar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=240, height=400"); }
</script>

<style type="text/css">
BODY {
SCROLLBAR-BASE-COLOR: #666699" background="images/grad_back.gif";
SCROLLBAR-ARROW-COLOR: mintcream;
}
SELECT {
FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;
FONT-SIZE: 11px;
COLOR: #000000;
BACKGROUND-COLOR: #CFCFCF
}
TEXTAREA, .bginput {
FONT-SIZE: 12px;
FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;
COLOR: #000000;
BACKGROUND-COLOR: #CFCFCF
}
A:link, A:visited, A:active {
COLOR: midnightblue;
}
A:hover {
COLOR: #666699;
}
#cat A:link, #cat A:visited, #cat A:active {
COLOR: mintcream;
TEXT-DECORATION: none;
}
#cat A:hover {
COLOR: mintcream;
TEXT-DECORATION: underline;
}
#ltlink A:link, #ltlink A:visited, #ltlink A:active {
COLOR: midnightblue;
TEXT-DECORATION: none;
}
#ltlink A:hover {
COLOR: #666699;
TEXT-DECORATION: underline;
}
.thtcolor {
COLOR: mintcream;
}
</style>


<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
<!--
function aimwindow(aimid) {
window.open("member.php?s=&action=aimmessage&aim="+aimid,"_blank","toolbar=no,location=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,wi dth=175,height=275,resizeable=yes,status=no")


}
// -->
</script>If you were to combine the two scripts in a single script tag, you could then move them into a separate .js file and just reference that on all the pages. You could do ths same for the CSS but with a .css file.
In the quotes is around 1500 charatcers, which are used on every page and therefore have to be downloaded every time someone loads a page, putting them into separate files could perhaps reduce your transfer rate by matbe 1Mb/day, probably more (assuming that it is downloaded 700 times per day). I don't know what the current bandwidth limit is, but reducing your output by 30 Mb/month must at least buy the site a little leg room.

[jimmy p]

Cant u just delete the archives or something? free some space there...or am i talkin outta my ***?

[Greg Bernhardt]

Originally posted by jimmy p
Cant u just delete the archives or something? free some space there...or am i talkin outta my ***?

Disk space is different than bandwidth [:)]

[lavalamp]

I thought you had disbaled avatars, I can still see them.

By the way, have you given any thought to the movement of the JavaScript and CSS to separate files in order to save bandwidth. Once they are in separate files, they will only need to be downloaded once.

[renedox]

The .js and .css files are a good idea but I think you need them there because the CSS changes on a few of the pages (I think...) if not then yeah, it would be a good idea.

What else you could do is take out the pictures that aren't needed.
e.g.

Just have a PF logo up the top strip, and take out the gradients for the tables and stuff.

hehe, being a minimalistic Web Designer (i.e. always wanting my sites to load as quickly as possible) this is quite in my teritory :P :D

[renedox]

Also turning off the redirect page would help too :D

...realised it when I posted the above post :D

[lavalamp]

Well I took a random sampling of two pages, so it's quite possible that the CSS could change. That's why I include all of the layout in one CSS file when I'm coding, this includes any code that is an exception for certain pages.

It may also be better to switch over to a completely CSS designed page using div tags to contain everything, tables need a lot of coding when compared to the CSS equivalent.
However that would take me while to design and I have another two projects on right now. Once the layout was constructed, it would be easy to implement because PHP is used on the site, so code is just copied and pasted straight into a template page and then sent on to the client. Change the template page and you change all of the pages.

[spookz]

come on over kids

[6)]

[renedox]

Changing this site over to a total CSS layout would be a rather huge task, although, its managable, by the time its finished, this problem would be "over"

[lavalamp]

I don't really see why it would be a huge task. From what I can tell there are only a few pages, with different content put into them server-side.

[renedox]

Well I found it hard enough trying to skin my board (too hard so gave up - temporarily) :S

[lavalamp]

By board do you mean a forum? If so I had a quick look on your site and I couldn't see one.

If you do get stuck you can always get help from:
http://www.codingforums.com/
http://forums.webdeveloper.com/

I'm a member in both of those forums, although I haven't been there for a while (I've been here).

[Zargawee]

Originally posted by lavalamp
If you do get stuck you can always get help from:
http://www.codingforums.com/
http://forums.webdeveloper.com/

I'm a member in both of those forums, although I haven't been there for a while (I've been here). [/B]

Isn't that Advertising and not allowed ?

[lavalamp]

I was just pointing out a couple of places to get Webdeveloper help on the net. I don't own either of them and I'm not getting any money or recognition for displaying their URL's, therefore I don't consider it advertising. [s(]

[Tyro]

Greg, what is your monthly bandwidth quota?

I have my own website and I don't mind setting up some kind of bandwidth sharing thing, if it can be done. Its mostly close friends/family/employers who use the website...my bandwidth usage is something like 0.01 of the quota.

[Greg Bernhardt]

Originally posted by Tyro
Greg, what is your monthly bandwidth quota?

I have my own website and I don't mind setting up some kind of bandwidth sharing thing, if it can be done. Its mostly close friends/family/employers who use the website...my bandwidth usage is something like 0.01 of the quota.

We're ok now, thanks for the offer though tyro [:)]

[BoulderHead]

Way to go Tyro !!

[:)]